Sponsors
and organizers, (l-r) William (Bill) Dewell, F&B EAM of Centara Grand Mirage
Beach Resort Pattaya, Raine Grady CEO of Capital TV, Sam Mizzi AustCham
director and John Anderson, AusCham president.
Dr. Iain Corness
The May networking event, organized by the Australian Chamber of
Commerce Thailand (AustCham) was held at the Centara Grand Mirage Beach
Resort in Naklua. The Zulu bar saw one very long line-up of the Broken Hills
red wine, with the Centara service girls in lacy fripperies dispensing
beers. The Aussies never run out of beer and wine, being part of the charter
from the great sunburned land down-under.
The principal sponsor was Capital TV with Raine Grady and Les Nyerges (and
their two children) on hand to enjoy the event. In an exclusive interview
with Pattaya Mail TV, Raine was very up-beat, describing the advance into
the provincial centers by Capital TV as a new and exciting, and successful
development of their long established media group.
The Centara Grand took the opportunity to introduce the senior management
group to the AustCham members and friends, as there had been many new faces
this year. General Manager Andre Brulhart and F&B EAM William (Bill) Dewell
mixing with the Aussies and enthusiastically promoting their products. When
asked what he does in his spare time, GM Andre said he has spying trips to
other hotels!
Of course, there were spies from the other side there as well, with Peta
from the Hilton, along with Sales Manager Waen Benjabut making mental notes,
if not written ones.
The AustCham ESB representative Paul Wilkinson was there, with his boss
Kevin Fisher from the dynamic CEA projects group. In the group was Thomas
Raldorf, the CEA race driver, so that was one business that understands the
value of commercial networking.
The very affable president of AustCham John Anderson (Meinhardt Thailand),
now without his tin legs and able to get around normally, fulfilled his
function by greeting everyone, ably assisted by the immediate past president
Andrew Durieux.
The catering by the Centara Grand was quite novel. Bread sticks, or rather
very long loaves were sliced with grilled BBQ wild boar filling. I think the
boar had every good reason to be a little ‘wild’, as ending up between two
slices of bread was probably not in its concept of a fun evening, even if it
was for the AustCham members.
Many of the usual faces were evident, with Peter Mewes, the senior legal
advisor for HBS in Phnom Penh and the world’s oldest soccer player, seen
chatting with Cees Cuijpers (Town and Country) who for once did not have his
lovely lady on his arm. A networking evening would not be the same without
the happy faces of Mark Bowling (Colliers) and Garry Irvin (Resource Link
Recruitment).
Another successful evening. The date and venue for the next one will be
published in the Pattaya Mail.
Andre Brulhart general manager of
Centara Grand Mirage Beach Resort Pattaya.
John Anderson, AusCham president,
tells Pattaya Mail TV a little about the chamber’s functions.
Kevin Fisher (CEA) and Garry Irvin
(Resource Link Recruitment) talk racing.
Peter Mewes (HBS Law), Paul
Wilkinson (CEA) and William Brown, former AMCA Rider.
David Bell, AustCham director and
Mark Donnal (Meinhardt).
Mark Carroll, AustCham executive
director and Stuart McKenzie, sales and engineering professional.
Hilton Pattaya’s Elwin Kemming,
director of sales, and Peta Ruiter, director of business development, share
thoughts with Centara’s senior vice president of sales & marketing Chris
Bailey and Pattaya Mail’s asst managing director Tony Malhotra.
Thawatchai Moonbunjong and
Yaowadee Fangseeda represent dusitD2 baraquda Pattaya.
A great selection of food is put on by Centara
Grand for this special occasion.
Hilton Pattaya’s Ratsiri Eamdee, sales executive -
events, and Varaporn Lamai, sales manager - corporate, are discussing sales
techniques with Unchulee Meesri, asst sales manager of Pattaya Marriott
Resort & Spa and Thitima Kongsomrith asst sales manager of Amari Orchid
Pattaya.
